Gordon Strachan and Neil Lennon potential comparison

Lennon could be better or bigger than wgs but he has a long way to go before doing aswell as wgs.

 

Strachan is light years ahead of Lennon in terms of European achievements. It will be tough to reach CL groups, nevermind last 16.

However Lennon will probably stay for much longer and will have more chances to make this team the force it once was in Europe.

 

On paper, Strachan's teams * over Lennon's in terms of success both home and abroad.

Strachan spent a deceptively-high amount of money in the transfer market, and to be frank (and in my opinion), the football that his team played was * dire (although, some fantastic and unforgettable wins).

I'm happier with Lennon's team of players at the moment - although let's not forget, Strachan was far more experienced than Lennon.

I think the only thing that Lennon has picked up from Strachan is how to make your more expensive signings your biggest flops.

 

Such as?

 

Good post mate.

I think when comparing Gordon Strachan to Neil Lennon we should always take the experience factor into consideration. Strachan had managed in the English Premiership for many years before he became Celtic manager. This is Neil Lennon's first job as a manager and he's only been in the post for 2 seasons. Obviously he is still learning on the job and is going to make some mistakes along the way. The main thing is he is doing a good job while he is learning.

What Strachan achieved in Europe was really good. There is no doubt in my mind that he used the experience he gained in the English Premiership to get the results he did in Europe. As manager of Coventry, Strachan had to get used to setting his team up to play against teams that were better than his. This experience would have been invaluable when he was setting his Celtic teams up to play teams like Man Utd and AC Milan in the Champions League.

Neil Lennon doesn't have any of that experience to fall back on so European football is going to be a steep learning curve for him. We're going to have some bad performances and dodgy results along the way while he learns how to set a team up at that level.

Neily is a bright guy though and I have every faith that he will learn how to do it.

 

Agree 100% mate.

That is why I'm hoping if/when we achieve Champions League group status, that we are paired with the best teams the competition has to offer i.e. Barca, Man Utd, Bayern Muchen etc so that our team finally face TOP opposition - it can only bode them well in terms of experience and development (even if we do get pumped in all the games).

Aswell, if our players put in a good performance, then there is the opportunity for other clubs to slap in bids for them

Back on topic though, nothing can take away the fact that Strachan is the first manager since Stein to win a treble - but I was glad that he stepped down when he did.........although, I was also moderately happy that Mowbray became manager (as I was expecting a free-flowing "Celtic-style" Celtic team to be formed ).

Lennon is a different sort of manager to Strachan - but if you are happy that Lennon is the manager (like I am), then some credit must go to Strachan for giving Lennon his first opportunity to come back to Celtic in a coaching capacity

 

On the contrary, if we get in, I hope we draw the easiest possible Champions League group (Porto, Olympiakos, Anderlecht one potential possibility) because they are all still quality teams and I want us to get 3rd minimum and as glamourous as a group wth the Spanish, English and Italian champions would be, 6 games, 0 wins, 0 draws and 6 defeats would not be something any Celtic fan would wish to witness. Aslong as we get in, that's the main priority.

 

I understand your point, and please do not take this personally or as an attack, but I think that is slightly cowardly.

Once we are in the group, we have made our money. We should then be aiming to mix it up with the best as to gain experience against the best.

Should we pit up against the likes of those mentioned - yes, we will gain experience against good teams, but we must be striving to face better - considering we as a support continually belate about how we are one of the best teams in the world

 

It's not cowardly at all, it's wanting my team to be as successful as possible and did you not consider the possibility that getting 2nd or 3rd and reaching latter stages of Champions League/Europa League would see a 'big name' play us anyway and not just as cannon fodder in a group. I would say something else but I don't like to insult people I don't know, especially my fellow Celtic fans and hopefully someone who didn't mean to offend.

 

I was excited when Strachan took over. Oneills last season left me flat. By the end of WGSs second season I felt detached from the club. I couldnt understand some of his decisions and comments and he began to annoy the life out of me. Im dtill thankful for the success and memories but I was glad it ended.

Ive enjoyed seasons some where we lost the league under MON and Lennon more than some we won under WGS.

 

I honestly feel that way too. Football isn't all about winning for me.

 

I thought I was very clear that I was not trying to offend, but if I did, then that was not my intention

Would you not think as well though that it would be a possibility that even better players might want to come to us when they see the atmosphere at CP against the biggest teams, and even if we play well against them? I sure as * think there would be a better chance of getting better players if the player better against better teams than playing less better against teams who are less better than the better teams........

Is that better?

 

Aye and they can witness that in February 2013 after steamrolling those pesky cheating Porto * to claim 1st in our group.

Listen I understand what you're saying. Those nights under MON and WGS when we succeeded against all the odds to beat Barcelona, Juventus, AC Milan, Manchester United etc etc were AMAZING and I want a return to those nights with Neil Lennon leading the way. I just want us to have a chance of getting out of the group in the first place which would therefore leave us with facing the big guns after christmas and would be further progression for our club, our players, our supporters and of course our manager.

Let me also reitirate that if you offered to me right now a group with Real Madrid, Man City and Juventus then I'd take it but out of potential preferance I'd want an easier group. I just want to get there in the first place and let's hope the first step to glory is spanking those pesky Finns on wednesday night.

 

The league is easier for Lenny to catch up on because 1 out of 2 is not too bad and Rangers-free league for 3 seasons if a virtual guarantee he can take his tally up to 4 out of 5 (80%) compared to strachans 3 out of 4 or MONs 3 out of 5. So in three seasons he can be up there with or beyond WGS (and further beyond MON) depending on how you look at it.

However, given the Rangers-free SPL I think Europe will be a far fairer comparison. In term of percentages of CL qualification he will take about 5 years of total success to have the same sort of Euro stats because he is starting of at 0 out of 2 although to be fair thats stats and if he had 3 or 4 CL run seasons on the trot now that would bring him up there in my eyes. He would also need to find a spectacular or two like WGS's CL last 16s or MON's Europa run to be up there IMO.

So I think with his so-so SPL start and his poor European record so far, he probably will need 3-4 more season before he can be compared to MON or WGS on the Europe front. If we dont qualify this year and has a 0-3 record he will never catch up unless he is here for about 10 years.

 

Perhaps Lenny will be here for 20 odd successful years in the style of Ferguson at Man United, wouldn't complain with that sort of legacy but that takes proper commitment.

 

Gunt in the middle of a Strachan debate....well I never

Only joking Gunt

 

We really should get a Strachan v O'Neill debate going, I don't think Celtic cyberspace has had one of them before....

 

That is a very good point about WGS using his experience as a survival expert in the EPL with small teams in a similar situation with Celtic in the CL.

 

Why on earth did we hire Mowbray who led WBA to 20th then? Ah the Celtic board, such pesky scamps